Packer lock



April 25, 1939. RNBE N 2,155,330

iACKER LOCK Filed March 13, 1937 RN BEAN' NVWTEEMU ATTO R N EY5.

BY mmmm.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PACKER LOCK Ruric N. Bean, Houston,Tex., assignor to Leslie Layne Application March 13, 1937, Serial No.130,629

9 Claims. (Cl. 166-12) The invention relates to a packer lock which canbe incorporated in the string of pipe in the form of a coupling so as toremain in an inoperative position when the packer and string of pipe islowered into the well bore and to thereafter telescope in order toprovide a locking arrangement to serve as a hold-down for the packer orother equipment in the well.

In the setting of strainers in wells and the arrangement of well bottomequipment, particularly where high pressures are encountered, it isdesirable to hold down the equipment in the well to lock it intoposition so that it will not be displaced. 1

II It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a hold-downapparatus for packers and well equipment which may be run into the wellin an I a hold-down device for wells which will have ratchetthreadsvboth on the inside and the outside in order to effect release ofthe device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hold-down device whichmay be set with the same setting tool that is used to set the wellpacker.

, Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparentwhen the following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1- is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus being lowered intothe well bore and illustrating the packer as having been set and withthe setting tool in a position to set the holddown slip.

45 Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the hold-downin'locked position.

In the equipping of wells it is the usual practice to provide in thewell a pipe or casing 2 which may be of any desired size or length and50 which extends'down to the vicinity of the producing formation. Belowthelower end of this casing the hole is opened and it is usual to lowera well bore assembly into the well which usually comprises a set shoe, astrainer, liner and one or u more packers. This arrangement is assembledtogether and lowered into the well by means of a setting or letting instring 3. This string is in the form of sections of pipe, the lower endof which is usually coupled to the setting shoe or the base of thestrainer in order to lower the assembly into the well. The well iswashed by circulating liquid downwardly through the string of pipe 3 andoutwardly through the bottom well or said shoe until the well has beencleaned and is ready to be completed. 10

If a valveat the lower end of the assembly is to be closed this pipe 3is usually manipulated for that purpose and then released from thestrainer. Upward movement of this string of pipe 3 is then negotiated inorder to bring the setting tool portion 5 thereof up to the elevation ofthe shoulder 6 above the packer 1. It is to be understood that one ormore packers may be provided and that the drawing herein is merelyillustrative because the hook-up for every well may be somewhatdifierent, depending upon the conditions encountered. Above the packer lis a length of blank pipe 8 which may be in the form of an extension ofthe strainer which is below the packer. The upper end of this pipe 8carries the shoulder 6 which is arranged to receive the segments ID ofthe setting tool and as seen in Fig. 1 this setting tool has been raisedfrom below the packer 1 up to the elevation of the shoulder 6 and thenat least some of the weight of the string of pipe 3 is applied so as toforce the segments l0 against the shoulder 6 in order to effectexpansion of the packer l by telescoping the pipe 8 downwardly relativeto the packer supporting portion. Various types of packers may beembodied and for the particular construction and arrangement of thepackers, setting tool and well bottom assembly reference is made to thecopending application of Leslie A. Layne, Serial No. 122,948, filedJanuary 29, 1937, for a Packer and setting tool.

As described in the above-mentioned application, after, the packer hasbeen set an upward pull on the 'pipe 3 will cause the segments. III ofthe setting tool 5 to move inwardly so that the 4 beveled surface llthereon will abut against the inclined surface I2 in the well bottomassembly.

In the present device, however, further upward movement of the string 3will cause the segments to move inwardly so that the tool can 0 then bemoved upwardly inside of the hold down coupling I3. In this manner thesetting tool 5 may be moved to the elevation shown in Fig. 1 where itwill enter the recess It so that the lower edge ll thereof will abutagainst the shoul- I 2 2,1ss,a so

I3 is made up of the head 20 and the base 2| which parts constitute thehold down device or apparatus. These two parts are telescopicallyarranged in such a manner that a pressure applied by the setting tool 5will effect relative movement of the parts from the position shown inFig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 where,

they serve to hold the packer down against an upward force from'below.

The head 20 is peculiarly formed in that it is threaded internally at 25at its upper end in order to. receive a section of pipe 26. Directlybelow these'threads it is formed with a recess 16 and the skirt 21 is atthe lower end of the head. This skirt is formed by providing a pluralityof slits 28 in the body portion so as to make it resilient. The outsideof this skirt is formed with a ratchet thread 30 which is arranged toengage the inside surface of the casing 2 and to bind into the surfacein order to obtain a firm clamp thereon as seen in Fig. 2.

In order to expand this skirt the base 2| is in the form of an upwardlytapered mandrel which has an inclined face 32 thereon. This face isarranged to receive the inside face 33 of the skirt 2'! so that theseveral fingers 34 which form the skirt will be expanded so as tocontact the inside of the casing. It seems obvious that when pressure isapplied to the setting tool 5 that the head 20 will be caused totelescope over the base portion 2| so as to expand and lock the devicein position. I

In order to hold the device in locked position the inside of the skirt21 is formed ith a ratchet thread 35 and the periphery of the mandrel orbase 2| is also formed with a ratchet thread as at 36. The threads 35and 36 cooperate together and will. hold the head and the base in anyrelatively telescoped position.

It shouldbe particularly noted that the ratchet threads 30, as well asthe ratchet threads 35 and 36, can be so arranged that they will haveeither a right-hand or left-hand pitch so that the device can bereleased from its locked position by rel9ltive rotation of the head withrespect to the base.

In operation it is merely necessary to release the setting string 3 fromthe base of the well bottom assembly to raise it so that the settingtool will engage and set the packer and then the next step is to againraise the setting tool and engage the looking or hold-down device sothat it may be set in a manner to take the position shown in Fig. 2. Thesetting string may remain hung in this position and production hadthrough this setting string 3, or if desired, the setting string may beremoved and the usual string of tubing lowered into position.

1 It is to be distinctly understood that this holddown arrangementbroadly contemplates a device which can be set with the same settingtool which is used to set the packer and which may be released in anydesired manner but which can be readily manipulated to hold .down theentire well bottom assembly.

' What is claimed is: a

1. Ina well bottom assembly for use with a packer, a setting stringtherefor, a setting tool on said string, a hold-down above said packer,

said hold-down comprising a coupling having ,a

head and a base, a skirt on said head, means on said packer to receivesaid setting tool, and additional means on said head to thereafterreceive said setting tool to telescope said skirt over said basehold-down, a shoulder on each said packer and said hold-down, and asetting tool to successively engage said shoulders to first set saidpacker and to then set said hold-down.

3. A pipe coupling including upper and lower portions, said lowerportion having an upwardly and inwardly tapered mandrel, said upperportion having a skirt overlying said mandrel, and means including astring of pipe to apply pressure to said upper portion to telescope saidskirt to expanded position over said mandrel.

. 4. A hold-down device for well packers comprising a tapered base, aflaring skirt thereabove to engage the casing, means to move said skirtalong said base to hold-down position, and ratchet threads on said skirtand base to support the load of the packer and to thereafter lock saidskirt in hold-down position.

5. The combination for use with a packer to be set, a packer lock to beset after the packer, a single setting tool for both said packer andsaid lock, and means on said tool to engage and set said packer and torelease therefrom and to thereafter engage and set said packer lock.

6. A hold-down for well bottom assemblies comprising a coupling made upof a pair of telescoping members, inter-engaging parts thereon tonormally prevent movement in one direction and support the load of theassembly, contacting tapered races to expand one of said members uponrelative movement, and means to apply a downward force to move one ofsaid members.

i 7. A hold-down head comprising a body, a recess therein, an expansibleskirt on said body, said recessbeing adapted to receive a setting toolto apply pressure in setting said skirt.

8. A hold downhead comprising a body, a recess therein, an expansibleskirt on said body, said recess being adapted to receive a setting toolto set said skirt, and a base to expand said sidrt.

9. A hold-down head comprising a body, a recess therein, an expansibleskirt on said body, said 2. The combination for use with a packer, a I

recess being adapted to receive a setting tool, a

base to expand said skirt, and latching means between said skirt andbase to hold said skirt in expanded position.

RURIC N. BEAN.

